Uganda’s February 18th election was a rote exercise; the outcome was never in doubt. According to a poll conducted in August 2015, 61 percent of Ugandans did not believe incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986, would lose the election. And indeed, he did not. The Electoral Commission reported on February 20th that Museveni won with 60.7 percent of the vote.
The electoral period has been tense. Voter intimidation and harassment have been rampant. The police detained opposition leader Kizza Besigye four times in eight days, keeping him under house arrest for several days directly after the results were announced. Protesters and opposition supporters have frequently been met with heavily armed security forces. Prior to the election, one person was killed and several were … [Read more...]